This Week at BMHS: November 21 - 28, 2016

Food Pantry

Last Thursday, BMHS had the opportunity to help the Food Services and Nutrition Department with the monthly Food Bank at the Marshall Middle School. We have been provided a number of grocery bags of food to distribute to families that may be in need during the holidays. If you are aware of a family that may benefit from a helping hand during this time, please feel free to contact our Guidance Department at 978-528-8761 or feel free to email a guidance counselor directly.

Spirit Week

Our annual Spirit Week competition will draw to close on Thursday at our pep rally. The competition for class spirit has been hotly contested with the sophomore class providing the stiffest competition to the Class of 2017. One of the biggest events each year is the Penny War. Classes collect pennies to add to their total while "silver" coins and dollars subtract money from other classes. Each year we raise thousands of dollars to donate to the Billerica Food Pantry. Since the inception of the Penny War in 1989, our students have contributed over $100,000 to families in Billerica that need additional support throughout the year.

Homecoming Dance

We will be hosting our first homecoming dance this Tuesday from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. There will be a DJ and refreshments available. We will follow typical dance protocols and contact parents if your child has not arrived by 8:00 p.m. Also, students are not allowed to leave the dance until 10:00 p.m. unless picked up by a parent.

Playing Favorites 2

The Fine Arts Department wrapped up another successful fall musical season with the sequel to last year's smash hit Playing Favorites. Playing Favorites 2 once again asked audience members to guess which of the four directors chose the musical number performed. It was also the second year that I did not finish in the top three. For those that attended this weekend, here are the results:

1st Place - Ann Seaburg

2nd Place - James McLaughlin

3rd Place - Mary Bright

3rd Place - Daschnee Altenrod

“Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray - Jessica Dearbeck

“Take Me to the Fair” from Camelot - Andrew Mills

“America” from West Side Story - Jessica Dearbeck

“First Date/Last Night” from DogFight - Andrew Mills

“Picture Show” from Parade - Andrew Mills

“If I Could Have Been” from Working, The Musical - Jeff Gage

“Sounds While Selling” from She Loves Me - Jeff Gage

“Brand New Day: Everybody Rejoice” from The Wiz! - Andrew Mills

“Schuyler Sisters” from Hamilton: An American Musical - Chris Dearbeck

“Stay With Me” from Into the Woods - Jeff Gage

“Coffee Break” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Jeff Gage

“Breathe” from In the Heights - Chris Dearbeck

“Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago - Jessica Dearbeck

“The Campaign: Our Favorite Son” from Will Rogers Follies - Jessica Dearbeck

“Run, Freedom, Run!” from Urinetown - Chris Dearbeck

“What I Did for Love” from A Chorus Line - Chris Dearbeck

Thanksgiving Day Football Game

This year's Thanksgiving tilt between Billerica and Chelmsford will be played at Simonian Field in Chelmsford. The game is set to kick off at 10 a.m. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the Main Office. The tickets prices are Students ($5) and Adults ($7).  Billerica is on a two game winning streak and is hoping to close out the 2016 season with a win.

Building Committee Update

The commencement of the work for the access road is still set to begin the Monday after Thanksgiving break. However, there will be some work commencing tomorrow. Shawmut Construction will be working on drainage patterns as they exit our work site. There were some trucks on site today, which will be feeding cameras into the pipes that exit the high school fields and enter the adjacent lots. They will also be backfilling some previous work completed near the property line behind the third base bench on the baseball field. Next Wednesday Shawmut will begin fencing the perimeter of the building project behind the current high school. The back parking lot will remain accessible until February 2017.

This Week at BMHS: November 14 - November 21, 2016

Parent Conferences:

Parent Conferences will be held this Thursday evening from 6 - 8:00 p.m. We use PTC Wizard for http://billerica.ptcwizard.com/authenticate/?redirect=none.  A suggestion for parents using the system for the first time - schedule at least a 5 minute break in between each conference to allow for travel time. (Example: 6:00 Conference #1, 6:10 Conference #2, 6:20 Conference number 3, etc. Each conference is 5 minutes in length and the gap in between allows you to travel to the next room and arrive on time.) We will have Peer Leaders throughout the building to assist you finding different classrooms. If you are unfamiliar with the building, please speak with your child before scheduling. They will help you to schedule conferences in an order that shortens the travel between each conference as you progress through the evening.
scheduling conferences. Directions for PTC will be sent out in a different email.

Remember,

• a room that begins with a "1" is located in the Memorial Building
• a room that begins with a "3" is located in the "New" Addition
• the second number indicated which floor it is located on
• example Room 1301 means Memorial Building 3rd floor

Veterans' Day Assembly

Last Thursday, we welcomed twenty veterans to commemorate Veterans' Day with us. Our JROTC program orchestrated a schoolwide assembly to remind students why they do not have school on November 11 each year. Juniors Daniel Smith and Meaghan MacDonald oversaw the entire assembly and their poise and dedication to their fellow cadets and our veterans was on display for all to see. There are few opportunities for us to gather as an entire school each year, but each of those moments is significant. Our award winning band performed the anthems for each of the branches present (National Guard, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Army) welcoming each veteran as they entered our gym. Our choir performed the National Anthem beautifully (major props to Annabelle Dionne) and our student body was extremely respectful of our guests. When the assembly concluded the veterans in attendance could not stop complimenting our students for their behavior and attention.

Spirit Week

We have once again reached that time of the year when we decide which class has the most school spirit. Although everyone thinks the senior class is a shoo-in to win the trophy, there have been many upsets in the past and nothing is decided until the final competition ends at the Pep Rally. The following is a list of events leading up to the class contests during the rally. I share this information with you because as a parent of a high school senior (boy) I know how difficult it can be to extract information about what is happening at school.

Monday 11/14: Pajama Day (Lunch Room Penny War Begins)

Tuesday 11/15: Twin Tuesday (Name Chain Distribution)

Wednesday 11/16: Sports Day

·         Wear an article of clothing from your classes corresponding team

1.       Freshmen: Bruins

2.       Sophomores: Celtics

3.       Juniors: Red Sox

4.       Seniors: Patriots

Thursday 11/17: Throw Back Thursday (Name Chain Collection)

·         Wear clothes from your classes corresponding decade

1.       Freshmen: 1950’s

2.       Sophomores: 1960’s

3.       Juniors: 1970’s

4.       Seniors: 1980’s

Friday 11/18: Fancy Friday

·         Dress Your best

·         Collared Shirts and Tie

·         Dress and or Pant-Suit

Monday 11/21: ‘Murica Monday

·         Wear at least one Red, one White, and one Blue article of clothing

Tuesday 11/22: Class Color Day (Final Penny War Day)

·         Wear two or more articles of clothing with your class color

1.       Freshmen: Red

2.       Sophomores: Blue

3.       Juniors: White

4.       Seniors: Black

Wednesday 11/23: PEP RALLY

·         Show your true colors - GREEN and WHITE

Playing Favorites 2

Rocky II, The Godfather II, and The Empire Strikes Back are just a few of the sequels that were as good, if not better than their originals. Playing Favorites 2 is poised to join this elite list. The first showing is this Thursday, November 17 at 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday's performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.

What is Playing Favorites? Playing Favorites originated last year from an idea the directors had on creating a show that featured songs from Broadway musicals which had absolutely zero connection to each other. So, how do you connect these songs? You don't, but you could have a little fun in the process and see how many people could guess which director picked which song, while also fundraising for the Fine Arts Department; thus Playing Favorites was born.  Playing Favorites 2 comes back after an overwhelming amount of requests to "do it again".  The show is unique in that it offers the ability for our students to perform and experience songs from Broadway shows that typically aren't performed at the High School level.  Additionally, it allows for a variety of students to be featured in lead roles and our freshman and/or rookie thespians to get a taste of the High School stage.

We hope you will join us on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday (or all 3 nights) and put your guessing skills to the test!  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online tinyurl.com/PFavs2tix or at the door; all seats are General Admission.

Building Committee

The Building Committee Meeting has been moved to this Tuesday, November 15 at the Parker Elementary School beginning at 6:00 p.m.

BMHS Athletic Association

The BMHSAA is organizing two fundraisers this week. First is "Dining for a Cause" sponsored by the 99's. The event takes place this evening, Monday, November 14 from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Please show your server the included coupon to make sure the BMHSAA receives the contribution.

The BMHSAA will also be sponsoring a raffle for tickets to the March 3, 2017 Ariana Grande concert at the Boston Garden with limousine service. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each, or 6 for $5. Tickets will be sold at select lunches this week and next and the winner will be selected at the Pep Rally next Wednesday. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Menezes at beth_menezes@comcast.net

Book Fair @ Barnes & Noble

On Friday, December 2, BMHS will host a Book Fair at the Barnes and Noble on the Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington from 2:30 until the store closes. When patrons provide our book fair number (11798394) at the register with their purchases, BMHS receives a portion of the proceeds to benefit literacy and arts initiatives at the school. Online purchases from December 2 - 6 are also eligible for the book fair! Plan your holiday book and gift purchases now! Watch for an email or pick up a flyer soon. Contact Ms. Marian Dyer (mdyer@billericak12.com) with any questions.

BMHS Calendar

This Week at BMHS: November 7 - 14, 2016

Election Day

This Tuesday, November 8 will be a Professional Development day for all staff at BMHS. The staff will be working on our quinquennial report for NEAS&C and reviewing our ALICE protocol. In conjunction with our ALICE review, Deputy Police Chief, Roy Frost, will be presenting additional strategies for the staff to consider before our next drill.

BMHS Election Results:

President/Vice President
Trump/Pence	31.2%
Clinton/Kaine	57.3%
Johnson/Weld	6.5%
Stein/Barak	5%

Question 1: Massachusetts Authorization of a Second Slots Location
Yes: 46%
No: 54 %


Question 2: Massachusetts Authorization of Additional Charter Schools and Charter School Expansion
Yes: 17.8%
No: 82.2%


Question 3: Massachusetts Minimum Size Requirements for Farm Animal Containment
Yes: 86.4%
No: 13.6%


Question 4: Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Yes: No: Question 5: Billerica Community Preservation Act
Yes: 58%
No: 42%

Question 5: Billerica Community Preservation Act
Yes: 73.3%
No: 26.7%

MCAS Review

At last Tuesday's School Committee Meeting, we presented our 2015-2016 MCAS, SAT, AP, and Graduation data. Some highlights from the meeting:

Math

• Overall proficiency/advanced improved by 4%
• Students with disabilities earning proficient or higher improved by 10%

Science

• Overall proficiency/advanced improved by 6%
• Students with disabilities earning proficient or higher improved by 24%
• Highest overall score in the Merrimack Valley

ELA

• Remained consistent at 94% proficient or higher
• 100% of students without disabilities earned proficiency/advanced
• Students with disabilities proficient or higher decreased for the first time in four years, but the students in inclusion classes increased their level of proficiency/advanced

Advanced Placement (AP)

• 26 AP Scholars
• 6 AP Scholars with Honors
• 20 AP Scholars with Distinction
• 3 National AP Scholars
• In 2013 BMHS administered 180 AP exams, in 2015 BMHS administered 425 exams

SAT

• Improved in all three areas (Reading, Math, and Writing)
• Surpassed the state average in all 3 areas
• Reading improved 7 points
• Writing improved 9 points
• Math improved 15 points

Graduation

• 92% of the Class of 2015 went on to college
• Dropout rate decreased to a 10 year low at 1.2%

End of Term 1

Term 1 ends on Wednesday, November 9. Report Cards will be available on Wednesday, November 16 at approximately 3 p.m.

Parent Teacher Conferences - PTC Wizard

BMHS will be utilizing PTC Wizard to schedule parent conferences this fall. Parent Conferences are on Thursday, November 17 from 6-8 p.m. An email will go out to all parents when PTC Wizard will go live and information on how to use the system and schedule appointments. For those parents that used the system last year, your information should already be in the system.

Veterans' Day Assembly

This year our JROTC students will be conducting our first ever Veterans' Day assembly on November 10 to recognize and celebrate the contributions of our nations veterans. If you are a veteran and would like to participate in the assembly, please call my office at 978-528-8712.

New Website Launch

The district will be launching a new website on November 9. The new address is www.billericak12.com Currently, the website is available through our district server, meaning your child/ren can access the new site through their school Google account. The current site will remain active through December 31. Any feedback for the new site can be sent to each school's webmaster.

Building Committee Update

The countdown continues to Monday, November 28 for site activity. Again, the team of Shawmut and their subcontractors will be clearing trees for the access road onto the site, which is directly adjacent to the Parker Elementary School's entrance. Shawmut will also be constructing their on-site location which will be located on the bottom floor of the Memorial Building, adjacent to the access road.

BMHS Calendar - The Week and Month Ahead

The published calendar below includes a number of different embedded calendars. You may select which calendar(s) you wish to view by selecting the upside-down triangle next to the Agenda tab. The choices are the BMHS (includes Fine Arts/Drama), Building Committee, and FIRST Robotics. We are working to integrate the Athletic calendar in the coming weeks.

This Week at BMHS: October 31 - November 6, 2016

What Makes Friday Nights Special

When the community gathers at the Marshall Middle School on Friday nights to watch our Indians perform, we have grown accustomed to our students' "compete" level. Each week before they enter the Robert J. Calabrese Stadium they have put in countless hours in preparation to ensure we fans, regardless of the outcome of the game, have an evening to remember. For the visiting fans it is a unique experience. They enter to watch a high school football game and leave envious of the experience. While it may have been the football game that drew them in, they also get to experience two of our premier programs - Cheerleading and Band. Our Cheerleaders have captured the Division 1 State Title 3 times in the last 5 years and our Marching Band just earned back-to-back Division 2 New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) Championships. Aside from the overall title, they also earned Best Color Guard and Best Percussion titles. We are truly blessed to have such hardworking students and staff to support them.

Division II NESBA Champions

Game of the Week - Like Chicago in 1960 - Vote Early and Often!

Congratulations! We have chosen your football game scheduled for this Friday as a candidate for our FOX25 High School GameDay Game of the Week.  One of the five games that are nominated will be featured as our spotlight game this Friday, November 4. 

I will report live from the Game of the Week on FOX25 News at 6 and highlights from the matchup will be featured on FOX25 News at 11, the FOX25 Facebook page and FOX25Boston.com.

It’s time to vote!

Please spread the word at your school and encourage students, fans, friends and family to vote for your game.  The polls will stay open until 11pm on Wednesday, November 2 and the winner will be announced on FOX25 News at 11 that night.

You can vote at this site and spread this URL around -> fox25.com/votegameday

Good luck and thanks for your support. We may see you Friday night!

Tom Leyden

Sports Director

FOX25 – TV

Team 4909

The Billerica Bionics began the preseason this past weekend at Manchester Memorial HS for the annual River Rage competition. Our team performed very well in their first meet reaching the semifinals. This year's competition season begins on January 7, 2017 with the introduction of the new game SteamWorks. For additional insight into the new season follow this link http://www.firstinspires.org/node/3651 Team 4909 is always looking for new members. If you are interested in the excitement of athletics combined with the rigors of science and technology, please contact Mr. Flood, or Mr. Fidler

National French Week

Date	Activity
Friday 11/4/16	Habillez en Français All French students, dress in something French and receive extra credit before this term ends! Be creative!!!
Monday 11/7/16	Bonjour en Français! Write a French message and stick it on the wall next to the “Arc de Triomphe” painting (between 3304 and 3306). See Madame Bynoe in 3305 for material. Write and post French messages all week!
Tuesday 11/8/16	(No School)
Wednesday 11/9/16	Classe de Français French National Honor Society members teach a French class to students from Grades 1 to 4, at the Billerica Public Library.
Thursday 11/10/16	Fête Française Let’s end the week with a bang! Enjoy French music, games and snacks. Are you the quickest and best at French language and culture? Prove it! Come and play “French Trivia” with Kahoot! 2:15 p.m. in 3305

BMHS Alumni in the News

BMHS Class of 2013's Erica Lynch using her DECA skills while reporting for NECN's Suffolk in the City on Question #4.

http://www.necn.com/on-air/as-seen-on/SUFFOLK-IN-THE-CITY-marijuana-legalization_NECN-398704991.html

Building Committee Update

Members of Shawmut Construction, Left Field, and Perkins + Will toured the grounds this past Monday to review and mark the location for the access road entering the site from River Street. The work will begin on Monday, November 28, 2016. It will mark the first time activity takes place on our campus that will send a visible message that work has commenced. The next Building Committee metting will take place on Wednesday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall.